Beer: Ratings & Reviews

A: Pours a lightly hazy orange color. The off-white head has a faint orange tint and a fairly dense, somewhat rocky texture. Retention is good, and wispy strands of sticky lacing cling to the glass nicely.

S: Bready and crackery notes up front, with some light caramel-drizzled character. Citric hops are prominent, with orange (rind, oil, and pith) standing out. A bit lemony as well, with some mild fruity esters in the background. Soft alcohol and mineral character is also present in the nose.

T: Sourdough and crackery malt flavor initially. Light caramel sweetness pops up, but doesn't stay long. Hop bitterness is strong and focused, fading gently into a long finish. Citric (mostly orange, with some light lemon) flavor is notable. A soft fruity and mineral flavor also persists into the finish, coupled with some modest alcohol bite.

M: Medium body. Carbonation is prickly and pleasant without going overboard. Aggressive hopping leads to a very dry, nearly bracing finish. A faint alcoholic warmth is also present.

D: This is a very enjoyable IPA, with a characteristically American citric hop personality. I enjoyed some of the secondary flavor characteristics, which to me included mineral and fruity (light tropical and orchard notes). Definitely more hoppy than balanced, but it's a welcome IPA from a reliable brewery.

This one pours a nice hazy orange-yellow color with three fingers of huge, fluffy head that sticks around for quite some time. Aroma is of a solid citrus hop. The taste is, again, pretty damn solid. It's got a very strong citrus flavor, along with a nice lingering hop bitterness on the backend. The mouthfeel is highly carbonated and just a little light, but has a lingering dryness that's rather pleasant. The drinkability is very good. Overall, a great IPA.

12oz bottle poured into a snifter. Pours a gorgeous hazy bright orange, great fluffy whiet head that sticks around with sticky lacing. Phenomenal looking IPA! The aromas are more subtle and not as aggressive. I'm picking up some orange and pine. Maybe some fuggle hops? There's a breadiness to this one. Also a touch of caramel. The flavors pretty much match the nose. Very bitter and dry. Fruity, but not juicy. Once again, pretty dry. Mouthfeel is light, smooth, and creamy. Nice amount of carbonation. This is borderlining what I've come to expect from an English IPA.

I guess this isn't my favorite hop profile, but this one is well crafted and I'm sure will make people happy.

Poured a 2" slightly yellowed head with long life. Hazy almost glowing yellow body. Smells of piney hops and citrus. Taste is predominately grapefruit from the hops. I'd call this a medium range IPA, cleary stronger hoppped than mainstream beers but not nearly the hoppiest I've had. I love the name and it matches the appearance well. Cool beer.

My second 12 Beers of Christmas beer. It pours a lightly cloudy straw topped by a finger of lightly off-white foam. The nose comprises wheat, grapefruit zest, leek, and a light bit of (and this is straight from my notes) "stank". Yeah, noodle that one fer a while, boyo... The taste holds notes of greens, orange peel, pine, grapefruit rind, light leek, and mild caramel. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a dry-ish finish. Overall, an alright IPA, but nothing I really wanna have again. Things just seemed strange when it came to the hops (as though the varietals didn't mix quite right on my tongue...something like that...).

Medium bodied brew and a bit hard to drink at times. Finish was almost too bitter and lingered far too long. Rough around the edges. Not terrible, but nothing special... might have to give this one another shot some other time. Never eaten any yellow snow... but maybe these characteristics really embody what yellow snow actually tastes like.